Last Shot
by Yumiko Kaze
Summary: One-Shot about Miaka and Hotohori. At a party Hotohori gives it one last try... With a little help from Nuriko.


Heylo, this is Yumi. I woul like to say that this is another one of my "written for school One-Shot things" it was supposed to be a short story, so it really has no distinct plot except to throw my two favorite characters together. ^_^,V;; Though it could probably happen sometime when Miaka and Tamahome are broken up and they happen to be at the palace… Aww, just use your imagination okay? I'm lazy. Anyway, pretend that Miaka has a thing for Hotohori. I always thought she did…

**Last Shot**

"There is no way, I repeat; _no way_!" Miaka Yuuki scowled darkly at her best friend (at least in the book world) Nuriko, who was at present grinning wickedly from ear to ear as he clasped his hands oh-so-innocently behind his back. Yeesh. The boy only got _that_ excited when he was plotting something evil.

Violet eyes narrowed seriously, "Oh, but there _is_!" the look in his eyes made Miaka gulp and take a few steps backward – and inadvertently trip and fall back on her bed. Somehow she knew she'd already lost this round, but there was no way she was going down without a fight! And there was still that miniscule little possibility she could get out of it…

Swiping auburn hair out of her eyes, the Miko growled and stood up swiftly on the edge of the mattress in her stocking feet. "I said NO! Absolutely not!" even though she was now towering over Nuriko by a few feet she could see that her attempt at intimidating her way out of this was simply _not_ going to work. Not only did Nuriko have super strength, he was equally stubborn and bull-headed about _everything_!

 "You know you're going." Nuriko could not seem to wipe that ridiculous grin off of his face! It was always almost impossible to know what the lavender haired boy was thinking. If such things were possible, Miaka would have known that Nuriko had been planning this entire thing for over three weeks now, and everything depended on her being there. And she also would have known that there was no way Nuriko was going to let her mess this up.

Still attempting escape, Miaka's mind cast about for an excuse of some sort. "But aren't these kind of things, like, formal?" at Nuriko's nod she crossed her arms and lifted her chin in triumph, "Well, looks like that leaves me out." She leaped lightly to the floor, "I don't even _own_ a dress, much less have one _that_ fancy."

"Not a problem!" Nuriko chirped brightly, pulling a swirling of brightly colored cloth from… somewhere. There was so much of it that Miaka had no idea where one end of it began and where it ended – much less where Nuriko had hidden it. "I made it just for you." Nuriko bit back a smile, _Well maybe not _just_ for you… hehehe. Oh I'm so _evil_. I love it! Never mind that as soon as this is over, I'll be dead…_

Miaka's jaw dropped to the floor. "Woah…" The dress was the most gorgeous thing she had ever seen! Tentatively she touched the red silk and stared. The gold trim really set off the shade. On the back, Nuriko had even added a train-like thing that looked like a bunch of phoenix feathers. Oh crap… she couldn't say no now… not after Nuriko had done all that work… Stupid conscience.

Miaka had been all set to agree to go to the dance, and to even wear the confounded death-trap, but something. Some in-bred streak of defiance and possibly a smidge of childish bratty ness stopped her. "I'm still not going."

Apparently her Seishi had anticipated this, because he merely smirked and balled his fists as if ready to do battle of some sort. "Oh yes, you _are."_

"Make me." Growled Miaka. There was no way in hell that she, tomboy extraordinaire would be going to any ball, party, or whatever the heck they were calling this thing. She had made up her mind and wasn't changing it. To further her point, she flopped down on her bed. She had only just gotten comfortable when Nuriko's voice once again interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh believe me priestess. That will be my pleasure." 

Miaka jerked into a sitting position. "N-Nuriko? What the hell are you thinking?" She then paled considerably. There was no way she'd be able to resist Nuriko's super strength. She turned a baleful look towards the Seishi. "_You, are so dead."_

***

Nuriko giggled insanely and couldn't stop dancing around as he securely tied the Miko into the many folds of silk and sashes. "Kirei! You look so good! Ah! I amaze myself!" 

It had taken multiple threats of bodily harm and at last the simple feat of Nuriko picking her up and tossing her into the bath and the stealing of her clothes once she had taken them off in order to bath properly, for Miaka to finally give in. It was, to date, one of Nuriko's greatest accomplishments.

"I can't believe I let you do this." Miaka whined, pouting and aiming a halfhearted kick at Nuriko's shin. "I hate you." This was positively shameful! She hadn't worn a dress since… since… well it had been so long she couldn't remember!

Nuriko cinched the last sash (perhaps a little bit tighter than necessary) and tied the bow just so before stepping back to take a look at his work. Nine years of dressing as his sister (Suzaku rest her soul) had really paid off! "Wow. I knew I was good, but I had no idea I was this good!" he placed a hand on his cheek in a very feminine manner, causing Miaka to giggle in spite of her current situation.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean, huh?" growled Miaka. Not sure if her Seishi was insulting her.

He grinned cheekily before turning back to Miaka and tilting his head, trying to decide what else he could do to the poor girl while she was in such a conveniently subdued mood. This was fun; it was like having his own personal dress up doll. He'd always wanted one of those…

Miaka frowned, "Aren't we done yet? At this rate we're going to be late, and you aren't even dressed yet."

"You need some make-up, and don't worry – I'm a professional."

"Don't you even…."

***

Well, it was time. Nuriko had gotten ready in record time, and now, with Nuriko having a firm grip on Miaka's elbow lest she try to run, they were heading towards the courtyard where the party was to be held. Miaka felt a stab of panic. Party. Lot's of people… eh heh heh… 

Miaka had never been much of a party person. Heck, she wasn't even that much of a people person. How was she ever going to survive in there? She was the Suzaku no Miko! People would be _staring_ at her. She wouldn't be able to disappear while she was wearing this death-trap that Nuriko had tied her into. She would be expected to _dance_…

She stopped abruptly, feeling nauseated, "Nuriko, I don't think I can do this…" she was "thisclose" to making a break for it when hands snagged her under the arms and hauled her the rest of the way to the doors.

She stood there a moment before she realized that she was shaking. What in the world was wrong with her? She had always prided herself on being strong. She wasn't afraid of anything! So why was she trembling like a leaf? She knew _part of the reason, but then again she had never cared what others had thought of her before. Why start now?_

_But that's not the reason. Not at all…_

"Ehhn…" Uncertainty, a step backward, _You are such a coward, _and an arm snaked itself around her shoulders. She didn't need to look to know that it was Nuriko.

"Hey Mi-chan. Go on. Don't be so afraid. I'm right here, and as soon as you walk through those doors everyone else will be too." His falsetto voice made her smile. 

"That's the problem – The entire Empire is out there." Her hands came up and she nervously cracked her knuckles. She detangled herself from Nuriko's comforting arm and turned wide eyes on him. "Please don't make me go out there."

Nuriko took her by the shoulders and turned her around so that she was once again facing the door. "Mi-chan, I know there's not much you're afraid of, that's probably why you're always so damned brave all the time when you tell everyone else to face _their fears. Now I'm going to say the same to you. Face your fears. "Carpe Diem." If you wait too long you're going to regret this for the rest of your life."_

"But…"

"No buts! Besides, if you don't go out there everyone will miss you." He gave Miaka a gentle shove. "Go on."

Swallowing the tightness in her throat, Miaka took a steadying breath and pushed the door open, managing not to trip on her way through. _Come on. You're okay. Just… go find the punch. Yes, punch is the answer to all things._

            Miaka's punch idea worked for a while, she managed to avoid all detection for the first half an hour or so. She had an excellent vantage point. She could see everyone gathered in a small group over to one side, Hotohori was sitting on his throne having his ear talked off by an advisor. As she scanned the room, Miaka caught sight of several couples smiling and laughing. Now she sighed. Why couldn't she have that?

            _Because you're a coward. Haven't we had this conversation already? ****__I'm not a cowar… Oh alright I am, but it's not like he's making any moves either. __He's too polite to make the first move. **_Well he didn't seem to have a problem making moves on you earlier! _**__You numbskull! Do you remember how fidgety you were around him after that? He's just respecting your personal space. **_I know! I know! But…I'd still prefer if _he_ came to _me**__. __You really are a coward. ****__Shut up right brain, or I'll stab you with a Q-tip. Hello_. Ancient ___China__, no Q-tips-_

            Her thoughts were (thankfully) interrupted by a light touch on her shoulder. As she looked up her wide green eyes met the gentle golden ones of none other than Hotohori. _Figures it'd be him…_

            The smile she threw at him was genuine, "Hoto-chan! Having fun?"

            "Of course. I couldn't help but notice you standing over here all by yourself. Why are you not with everyone else? You looked quite lost." He tilted his head slightly in concern and Miaka felt her heart leap as she blushed.

            "Ah, well. You know… they ran out of finger sandwiches. Can't live without those."

             He chuckled before taking her hand and leading her over to where the rest of their friends stood. Miaka, usually talkative and boisterous to the point of needing a straight jacket, stood still until Nuriko cracked a joke that suddenly had her back to her old self again. "Hey Tamahome!" when he looked in her direction, Miaka socked him squarely in the arm.

            "Ow! Hey what was that for?!"

            She shrugged, "I've been in my room the last couple days, and I'm in withdrawal." She didn't know why, but after Tamahome's rejection of her, she and the Seishi had fallen into an older brother/little sister type of relationship and now they both got some sort of high from irritating the daylights out of each other.

This went on for a while until one of the advisers came over and whispered into Hotohori's ear. The young Emperor blushed slightly and watched as the advisor rushed off to talk to the musicians. Eventually all talk around their little group stopped and Miaka realized that the crowd had formed a sort of circle around them.

She had no idea what was going on until Nuriko giggled and leaned over, whispering "They're starting the dancing, you know what that means!"

Miaka blinked, obviously confused. "Actually, no, I don't"

Nuriko leaned further so that his lips nearly brushed her ear, "His Highness has to start everyone off, so he'll have to pick a girl to dance with him for the first dance." He elbowed her in the ribs, elicitating a small squeak from her.

Before she could retaliate with a good jab of her own, Hotohori was there and he was leaning down so that his soft silky hair (which to Miaka's joy had been left down) fell around them like a curtain. "Miaka… would you…?" he let the request hang.

Her cheeks burned, and the tightness in her throat was back, she felt like someone was shocking her with a thousand tiny batteries. "I… I'd like to…but-" she paused to swallow and bit back a yelp when Hotohori's strong arms closed around her as the music started and she was suddenly being swept out onto the floor. She slid her hands up to his shoulders and prayed to any deity that happened to be listening that she would not trip. 

As they passed the others, Miaka caught a glimpse of Nuriko looking particularly smug, as did everyone else. _What the… why are they looking at us like that?_ Then it dawned on her. _They planned this! _

Resisting the urge to stick out her tongue, Miaka turned her head the other way and laid her head on Hotohori's chest, heaving a great sigh of neither resignation, nor contentment, but somewhere in the middle. "- but I can't dance." She finished half-heartedly, thankful for the insanely long layers of silk covering her clumsy movements.

She felt Hotohori's chest vibrate as he laughed quietly. "You seem to be doing fine to me."

"You're just saying that"

"I am not. You're a perfectly good dancer. I know Tamahome and Nuriko ran you ragged these past weeks trying to teach you."

She nodded and closed her eyes, letting the Emperor lead her around and listening to the sound of his heartbeat. When the first dance was over, the rest of the guests joined in and Miaka didn't feel quite so self conscious, but she still felt as nervous as a rabbit being carried around by a wolf.

_Why is being around him so hard? I feel like my heart is trying to beat its way right out of my chest. It's buzzing. This feels almost like fear… but Hotohori doesn't scare me. Then what's this other feeling? That's what scares me; the pang I get whenever he's around. This has never happened to me before. Miaka risked a glance up at Hotohori's face and blushed when she saw soft golden orbs shining down at her, __Oh gods. I know what it is… I love him. _

She managed not to squeak in surprise when Hotohori rested his chin on the top of her head. So caught up in her thoughts was she that she didn't notice where they were going until they were already there. Hotohori had steered them into a little side garden, away from the hordes of people and prying eyes. 

Slowly, he released her and she took a step backwards as he took her hand and pulled her to sit next to him by the fountain. Shyness over took her and she stared at his feet instead of his face.

"Miaka, forgive me." His thumb moved back and forth across the back of her hand, making hard to think.

She looked up, startled, "For what?"

"For scaring you. For being too aggressive." He looked down, "I… know you love Tamahome, not me, but…" he looked back up, eyes moist with unshed tears.

Miaka felt her throat convulse as though _she_ were going to cry. Now if that didn't tug at her heart-strings… The man obviously loved her with all his heart, yet she had been so intent on Tamahome that she had closed her heart off to any other possibility.

His hand brushed a lock of hair off of her cheek, "…I can't help but hope, that maybe, somehow, you could love me," he paused, closing his eyes, "as I love you."

His arm came round her shoulders and he pulled her close, she instinctively stiffened, distantly thinking _hypocrite_, the man was doing _exactly_ what he had just apologized for… And yet, this time she didn't mind. As she allowed the Emperor to embrace her, she returned the gesture, feeling her heart swell with emotion as Hotohori kissed the top of her head, murmuring soft "I love you's" over and over into her hair.

Miaka pulled away and bit her lip. What to say? She had never thought anyone would ever have feelings such as this for her; and especially not anyone of importance. This was an Emperor: What could she possibly say that wouldn't sound ill-mannered and… less than adequate?

But he was also Hotohori. The man she had come to see as a truly brave and kind soul. One that in a very short amount of time she had discovered that she loved very dearly. "Hotohori…"

Wisps of hair falling in his eyes, he locked gazes with her and nodded, telling her to continue. In her peripheral vision, Miaka could see him clench a fist before drawing it into a sleeve to hide it.

"I don't love Tamahome." She paused and glanced at the flower petals floating on the waters surface. Why did she have to be so shy? Miaka took a deep breath and looked Hotohori right in the eye, "I love _you_." She looked down again, she could feel her face burn.

Damn her pride. She felt almost like she'd lost something. Even though her heart said she had everything to gain.

If she hadn't lost her nerve, Miaka would have seen golden eyes widen in surprise before seeming to be lit by an internal fire. She jumped slightly when the long fingers of his free hand grasped her chin gently and turned her to look at him. Immediately her taught muscles became spaghetti. The buzzing sensation in her chest worsened as she stared into eyes that glowed with emotions she dared not name. She hoped she wasn't hyperventilating. Every sane neuron in her mind screamed at her to leap up and run the other way, but her traitorous body had other ideas as it gave itself over to Hotohori's embrace. She was frozen, their tips of their noses touched every time on of them took a breath and their lips were agonizingly close together. Hotohori breathed a soft "I love you too." Before tilting his head forward that extra fraction of an inch that made all the difference.

At the first touch of his lips on hers all the fears and doubts that had been running wild throughout Miaka's mind melted away as she gave herself over to the soft yet insistent pressure of Hotohori's lips, feeding her passions from the depths of his soul.  Unconsciously, Miaka's hands found their way to Hotohori's long tresses. Absently her fingers combed through it, loving silky feel of it. The odd buzzing had been replaced with the racing of her heart as Miaka reveled in her new discovery. She had never experienced anything remotely like it before and wished for it never to end.

After a time they eventually came back to themselves and realized that they must have been sitting there, just holding each other, for quite some time. The party seemed to be winding down.

Raising her head from its comfortable position on Hotohori's shoulder, Miaka shifted her grip and squeezed the Emperor for all she was worth and shook slightly with suppressed laughter at some secret joke.

When he could breathe again, Hotohori raised a hand to stroke his beloveds hair and smiled. "What's so funny?"

"Ah nothing. I just realized that I really had a good reason for being afraid of you, and love," she gigged at the confused sound he made, "I think you scrambled half my brain cells. I may not live through another kiss."

                                                                                    ~ Owari (The End)


End file.
